"There is a growing sentiment, even voiced by NASCAR officials, that late start times for races have contributed to the sportís recent decline in TV ratings. Itís about time someone (a) acknowledged there is a problem and (b) realized that part of the problem is the alienation of NASCARís core fan base in recent years."

So hopefully someone has noticed that most fans don't like the later and later starts. While waiting [interminably] for the race to start Saturday late, I said to Lou, "It's just weird to have a race on a Saturday night..." And his reply was "Unless it's Bristol." How true!

The more it happens, the more I'm changing my tune and becoming a fan of NA$CAR races on Saturday night. Since I no longer go to a dozen of them a year and don't have to worry about late-night race crowds and traffic, I like Saturday night race. I can watch a few laps before I fall asleep, set the TIVO (or have Cheryl set it for me!) to record it, watch it on Sunday morning in record time as I skip merrily thru the 127 commercials, and then have virtually the entire day left to do stuff that regular people do! Like yardwork, or puttering, or just sitting on the deck enjoying a nice relaxing race-free day.

Sunday afternoons on the couch can once again return to it's original purpose - NFL football! And that's only half as many days as a NASCAR season!

Lou, thanks for finding the good in all of these late starts that the Cup series now has!

The bad is the effect it has on the local short tracks. Attendance is down at the tracks that attempt to conduct their racing schedules at the same time, and other places (like Irwindale Speedway in this area) have tried to keep up by buying video monitors and showing the Cup race there, then delaying the start of the local card until after the "main event" is over.

I'd really like to see something done where the races are rather ran during the daytime or nighttime; not transitioning from daylight to darkness. I've always felt the races ran under one condition or the other were better than those transitioning the two periods. I'm sure there's little change in day and night in terms of lighting, but the changes in other weather conditions (wind, temperature and humidity) do change drastically after the sun sets. These weather changes seem to further complicate car set ups etc. reflecting in some drastic changes in running order.

Of course, doing this would enable those of us on the east coast who care to watch the race live to schedule a reasonable dinner time around the race rather than trying to have dinner ready at the 18th debris caution.

Of course, doing this would enable those of us on the east coast who care to watch the race live to schedule a reasonable dinner time around the race rather than trying to have dinner ready at the 18th debris caution.

I couldn't agree with you more on that one, James! The 2:00-3:30 starts on Sundays (and Saturdays for BGN races) really screw up trying to eat supper for us too.

Of course, doing this would enable those of us on the east coast who care to watch the race live to schedule a reasonable dinner time around the race rather than trying to have dinner ready at the 18th debris caution.

Cheryl wrote:

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I couldn't agree with you more on that one, James! The 2:00-3:30 starts on Sundays (and Saturdays for BGN races) really screw up trying to eat supper for us too.

Maybe you two are right. It is much, much better for the people on the west coast to have to schedule their breakfast, brunch, or dinner around the racing schedule. And of course it effects the ratings. After all, even though the tv is on and tuned to the appropriate station to record the race, that doesn't count in the ratings. What are they thinking?

I wouldn't have a problem if racing were on when I get up on Sundays. It doesn't take me any time at all to prepare a bowl of cereal. :laugh: Actually it would be quite neat to have racing Sunday morning IMHO.

I'm with you, Cheryl! Half the time, I watch the F1 races just because they're there! I'm up reading the paper, and can have the race on in the background. after all, once the first lap or two are done, there's not much actual racing. I got very used to being able to wash and wax my car, come in and clean up, then settle in to watch the races on Sunday. Now, I have to find something to fill in the time until the late races start...and stay awake for those 'midnight rides'? No way!

How about it, Viv...was it better when the races started around 5 PM on Sunday, after church, after time to do other stuff? I believe it's affecting the ratings too.

Cheryl, Dick, I totally agree about Sunday morning racing...sorta fills a void. Unfortunately, in NC you can't buy alcoholic beverages before noon on Sunday so I'm not sure if I could stand the ennui of a race without some sort of mint altering. Just kidding, OK?

Sally, it really doesn't bother me as to what or when the races are on. There are much more important things to be concerned about. I can adapt or tape and watch whenever. I guess, to put it bluntly, I just don't like all the 'screw the west coast fans' attitudes I am seeing here. Sorry......

I don't think any of us intended it to come across that way about true fans wherever they are located. Speaking for myself, I just feel like they are sacrificing the true fans on the east coast for the hope of attracting the younger fringe fans in other time zones. As you have said, you'll watch whenever (as we do even if we do complain about it), but it seems like NA$CAR and TV feel they must shift everything around to garner their coveted "new" fans.

But I guess this is another subject that we should tread carefully about on here and I'll do my best to do so from now on.

I can't speak for other folks opinions here, but I don't believe it is about "screw the West Coast" at all. Census figures show that 79.9 % of the U.S. population lives in the Eastern or Central timezone, with 47% being Eastern time zone.

To me it's more about them screwing nearly 80% of their possible viewing audience. Their later and later starts are very disproportional to the number of people in front of the TV set.

I live in the same time zone as Vivian, and I can also make the necessary adjustments.

Actually, the statistics are mixed. While 80 percent of the country lives in the Eastern or Central time zone, it is also true that California (Pacific time zone) is the state in America with the most people. Also, the fastest growing states are all in the West (Nevada, Colorado, Idaho etc.)

With that being said, the state isn't producing enough "real fans" (as measured by the ratings) to make up for the decline in the audience elsewhere.

Just wanted to explain where I was coming from. And to say that I know that no one intentionally intended to post something that would be taken the wrong way by someone else.

It was both threads about the starting time and the remarks that got me upset. It just seemed to go on and on. I first posted that there are always inconveniences in life. Then I posted my schedule for the Busch race hoping everyone would realize that it is not necessarially easier for west coast fans. Then I kept reading both threads and posted a very sarcastic post which I felt no one really understood what I was saying so after that stuff really hit me wrong.

I know I probably took it all wrong. You can post any bad stuff you want about my favorite drivers and I can overlook it because I know they all err and so I just shrug my shoulders and think, 'oh, well'. No big deal. But for some strange reason, I did take exception to things written on both threads and just wanted everyone to know that I felt the west coast fans as a whole seemingly were being resented because of the tv times. I also felt they were being unfairly blamed for the decision by Nascar and the tv stations for the races cutting into everyone on the east coast meals or sleep time.